Devil's Advocate
by Abel Sephaos
Summary: Madara Uchiha had been a proud leader for the Uchiha for many years, guiding them through times of turmoil and conflict with an iron fist and deadly wrath. A recent lull in the war between the Senju and Uchiha had given Madara a glimpse of the inevitable, and a recently wounded blond drove that fact home. Only problem was, she wasn't expecting to become obsessed with an Uzumaki.
1. (Un)Familiar Territory

Devil's Advocate

Chapter 1, (Un)Familiar Territory

_I do not own a thing pertaining to the Naruto franchise._

_**I should be working on Paradise Lost. Instead, I'm stuck writing a story for a fandom I haven't thought about in years. There is a story titled 'Try not to F*** up the future', in which Naruto ends up being sent to an alternate dimension and meets a female Madara. It's a pretty decent read for what devolved into a crackfic, and it made me start doing the same thing I always do when hit with an amazing idea that I felt is under appreciated.**_

_**Take that idea, and run with it.**_

_**I'm completely out of touch with a lot of stuff from the series, so it might take me a while to get back into the swing of the characters and their abilities, but hopefully not too terribly long.**_

_**So here it is, a Fem!Madara story that I didn't know I wanted to write!**_

**[DA]**

If there was anything the figure currently descending from the sky at near terminal velocity knew at that moment, it was one thing.

Pain.

Pure, unadulterated pain.

It was hard to think, but one Naruto Uzumaki was of sound enough mind to register that he was currently on a crash course with the earth below. Trying to muster any form of strength was difficult when the wind slicing into his skin was strong enough to steal the breath from his lungs but he attempted to do so regardless. He could feel himself growing cold as he continued his descent, numb from the heavy loss of chakra and blood, but his desire to live proved too strong to completely snuff.

The ground continued to grow closer as he once more reached inwards for strength, dredging the absolute bottom of his once limitless pools of energy for whatever vital scraps he could muster. It wasn't enough to stop the pain, nor would it be enough for even the most simple of techniques, but it would do.

Reinforcing his body as best he could, he braced for impact and almost as soon as he wrapped the last of his energy around his body like a paper-thin cloak, the earth gave way beneath him.

Splintering from the velocity generated by the body and cratering as kinetic energy and chakra transferred outward, an explosive shock wave disturbed the once peaceful silence for miles surrounding the epicenter.

If it was possible to be even more miserable than he had been previously, the blond man currently covered in blood, dust and stones would have expired from the severe impact.

His life essence was rapidly vacating his body and spilling onto the rubble he attempted to push himself out of and he soon found the source of his leak. It was his lack of a right arm that greeted him as he attempted to use a limb that wasn't there, flopping onto his right side as his left arm carried out the task his brain had given both limbs.

Naruto's pupils shrunk to pinpricks as he stared at the ghastly wound, the now identified source of pain being something he knew Kurama couldn't just fix willy-nilly. Healing a punctured heart burned by thousands of volts of electricity while keeping his host body alive? Sure. Growing back something as complicated as an arm from scratch?

He doubted his furry friends ability to pull off that miracle.

The nature of his wound finally setting in is what finally kicked his mind back into gear enough to form a coherent string of thoughts.

_'Kurama...' _The blond intoned weakly, almost finding himself incapable of doing so as his vision started to fade around the edges, only for a burst of foreign but familiar chakra to revitalize him enough to remain conscious.

There was no verbal response, however.

_'What the hell happened?'_

It took him some few seconds of concentration for his recent memories to come rushing back to the forefront of his mind, and he felt his warm blood run cold after he did so.

He remembered the Fourth Shinobi War and all that it entailed, including the truth of Obito's identity, Madara Uchiha's revival and death, Kaguya and finally, his battle with Sasuke at the Valley of the End.

It was only when his scattered mind went over the final moments leading up to his impromptu skydive did Naruto understand.

He... had lost.

Despite the odds and the Devil's luck on his side, he had lost his final battle against Sasuke.

His opponent had used his faith, his _trust,_ against him, and Naruto paid the price for thinking with his heart and not his mind.

Using his chakra siphoning ability once more, Sasuke had ripped the last bit of Kurama's purified chakra from Naruto's chest and used it to open a rift with his Rinne-Sharingan. Without a word, Sasuke had kicked his blond brother in all but blood through the rift and sealed it shut almost as quickly as it came, and with the rift closed, so too sealed was the fate of the entire world.

Gritting his teeth, the blond Jinchuuriki once more attempted to push himself to his feet, this time keeping his missing right arm in mind as he diverted his center of gravity towards his mostly unwounded left side. It took some time for his muscles to respond and after close to a minute of effort, the blond shinobi was finally able to stumble to his feet.

Panting heavily and once more on the brink of blacking out, the blond cast a weary gaze around him in an effort to get a grasp on his location. The sight of upended trees, stones and walls of earth surrounding the crater he created upon impact was all that greeted him, lacking any sort of marker to denote where he was.

He knew that the Valley of the End was where the Land of Fire ended and the Land of Rice began, but there was no telling where Sasuke's technique ended up sending him.

Sasuke had used the same technique as Kaguya, one capable of sending the user to different _dimensions_.

If there was one was to ensure that his opponent couldn't come back to fight him again, it was to leave him stranded somewhere he had no hopes of returning from.

Once more, the grim reality of his situation began to set in and the heavily wounded shinobi almost gave in to the anguish he felt then and there. Fighting to stay standing, the blond gave his immediate vicinity another blurred once-over in an attempt to identify even the most faintly familiar of sights.

The only thing he could tell for certain is that the trees looked sort of familiar, so he had a good feeling he may be somewhere in the Land of Fire, but other than the trees he had absolutely nothing to go on.

_'Any idea on where we are, Kurama?' _Naruto once more attempted to send his thoughts inward towards the Biju residing within his gut, but once more he received nothing but silence in return.

Naruto took a step forward and stumbled as the ground beneath him gave way enough to roll his ankle, forcing him to eat dirt for the umpteenth time in the past twenty minutes alone. He attempted to reach out to catch himself before he hit the ground and was once more reminded of his current lack of a right arm, leaving him to collapse on the still bleeding stump and scream into the dirt in agony.

His screams eventually fell silent and darkness overtook his mind completely, but not before he could faintly register two foreign chakra signatures touching down just outside of his crater.

Chakra signatures he swore he had felt just a few hours prior.

**[DA]**

It had been a rather dull day for Madara Uchiha.

It started off as her days usually did within the past year, with no small amount of irritation, yelling and brooding. After the death of her father, at her hands no less, Madara found herself thrust into the position of acting leader of the Uchiha clan and all that position entailed.

Paperwork, politics and planning espionage, the three P's of a good shinobi. Power, Prestige and a phenomenal lover would just have to come later, as those were the three she was expecting.

She had come to regret her decision of patricide almost as soon as she committed to the idea.

Despite her desire to lead her clan, it did not mean she enjoyed sitting in a stuffy room all day and thus she had found herself wandering the country side of the Land of Fire late in the afternoon with no real destination in mind. Negotiating a better price on steel imported from the Land of Iron had taken far more of her day than she had intended, and the merchant peddling the ingots had proven to be a pig in more ways than one during his brief visit.

She fought down the shiver that threatened to quake her spine in revulsion, instead focusing on anything and everything else on her mind to distract her.

In light of the current ceasefire between the Senju and Uchiha, Madara was taking advantage of the temporary lapse in bloodshed to try and curb her inner turmoil over the continued harassment she faced by her counterpart and rival, Hashirama Senju. Nothing vulgar in nature, but it was harassment none the less.

Her beloved little sister and only remaining sibling, Izumi Uchiha, fought tooth and nail to convince Madara otherwise, but the elder of the two was slowly starting to see that Hashirama was more right than wrong in his strong beliefs, especially when he went out of his way time and time again to prove himself and his ideals to her.

This most recent cease in conflict was evidence of such.

Why, indeed, did the Uchiha and Senju continue to war with one another when both sides had long forgotten what they fought for? As it stood, Madara found herself enjoying not having to see the young of her mighty clan brought low before another in battle, or having to rally dozens of fighters to secure a front that would only shift again in another month or so.

Madara could concentrate on issues not pertaining to their most hated enemy for once and make headway on implementing her own changes within her clan, much like Hashirama had done when he had succeeded his father in ruling the Senju.

She was hardly a capable public speaker, but her zeal and ferocious combat ability made her an ideal figure for the Uchiha to rally behind and even the most vitriolic members of her clan knew better than crossing her.

If she fought hard enough, she was sure she could convince enough of her clansmen of her and Hashirama's dream of peace to quell the rest of her violent relatives.

Madara was so wrapped up in her thoughts of how to even broach the subject with her clan members at large that the sound of what seemed to be an explosion in the distance hardly registered in her mind.

Eventually, however, she was forced to pay attention to the distant noise when a shock wave of displaced air washed over her seconds later, forcing her to grit her teeth and apply chakra to her feet to better stick to the earth. As soon as the shock wave passed, Madara changed her course from north to east and began to head directly towards what she assumed was the source of the explosion with great speed.

Her eyes bled crimson as the Sharingan sprang to life within her once coal black eyes, three tomoe spinning quickly around her pupil as she scanned the environment around her for signs of enemy combatants. The only chakra sources she could detect within her immediate vicinity during her quick travel were those of small animals and woodland creatures that roamed the forests below.

As did most shinobi within the densely forested Hi no Kuni, Madara traveled near the tree tops and leaped from one branch to another to give her a better vantage point to view the surrounding area.

Madara readied herself for a fight the closer she got to where she deduced the epicenter of the explosion originated from, her suspicion growing as she drew nearer to the source. The trees and area around her were familiar, vestiges of a past where she and Hashirama had gathered at the stream below her to skip rocks and swim.

She paused for a moment to regard the stream, fond memories rushing to the forefront of her mind before the young matriarch pushed them away and returned her focus to the present.

All thoughts of Hashirama and her past pushed aside, Madara found herself drawing a kunai and pooling her chakra behind her eyes to push her Sharingan to its next stage. With the Mangekyou flaring to life, it was far easier for her to pinpoint the location of the disturbance, as well as what appeared to be a fading chakra signature within a chakra laden crater.

Leaping forward one last time, the armor clad ninja came to a rest on one of the top branches of a tree standing at the very edge of the crater below. It wasn't quite close enough to the river to form a basin, but she was sure that nature would do her part.

Now that she was close enough to get a decent look, she determined that the figure laying near the center of the crater was indeed on the verge of death. A small flame of chakra remaining kindled within his reserves while a different blend of energy seemed to congregate heavily on his right sight, close to his shoulder and upper arm.

His chakra was unfamiliar to her, but something about it caught her attention. Perhaps it was the strange coloration, or perhaps the way that it started growing in both size and strength as she watched, but Madara soon found herself leaping down to the edge of the crater to get a better look.

Under closer scrutiny, the ebony haired Uchiha couldn't stop a frown from marring her usually neutral expression. The figure in the middle of the crater looked like _hell_ had run him through, multiple times.

He was laying down face first in the dirt, but not quite directly in the center of the crater. From the looks of it, the heavily wounded blond, at least she assumed he was a blond beneath all of the blood and grime from the few patches of yellow she could spot, had not only caused the crater she now stood in with his body, but he had _stood up and tried to walk away afterwards_.

An impact capable of causing the crater she now found herself in would have killed any other shinobi she knew outside of maybe herself, Izumi, Hashirama and his white haired dick of a brother, Tobirama.

It was around that time that she spotted the garish stump that remained of what used to be his right arm, still slowly leaking blood unto the soil beneath him.

So not only did this man fall from the sky and hit the earth at terminal velocity, only to try and walk away from it, but he did so while heavily wounded and after recently losing a limb?

Madara was most likely better off killing the poor bastard before he could recover any further, not only to ensure one less potential enemy in the world, but to put him out of what was obviously misery.

Anyone who could survive a beating like what this man obviously took had to be a _monster_.

It was for that very reason that she stayed her hand, and instead of severing the spine of the wounded man with her kunai, she instead rolled him over to face the sky to get a better look at it and hopefully identify him.

The ebony haired warrior did her best to ignore the massive swelling taking over the left portion of his face, instead trying to recognize the blond by going over the notable shinobi of the many clans that called Hi no Kuni home. Despite her efforts, however, she couldn't really say for certain that she had ever seen him before in her life, and that bothered her.

If there was one thing Madara prided herself on, it was knowing her enemies almost better than she did her allies. This man did not look to be one of her enemies, and he obviously was no ally.

She would have remembered someone with such cute little whisker marks, Madara was sure of it.

Once more, the current leader of the Uchiha clan was torn on her decision.

Did she end the man before he could become a threat, leave him to die of natural causes, or... or did she risk it, and take him back to the Uchiha compound to heal?

Torn with indecision, Madara bit her lower lip and once more brought her gaze to the wounded but satisfyingly cute whiskers that were visible beneath flakes of dried mud and blood.

Her decision was made for her, however, when she sensed a chakra signature approaching her position from the west, a direction she knew would eventually take her near the Senju encampment should she travel that way far enough.

Biting her lower lip harder as a result of the sudden pressure she felt to make a decision, Madara once more weighed her options, this time with the Senju in mind.

If they, being the Senju clan, were the cause of this mans wounds, then that painted him in a slightly more opportunistic light for her.

The enemy of my enemy is still my enemies enemy, but that didn't mean the wounded man couldn't be a potential bargaining chip in the future. If he _was_ enemies with the Senju, then she might be able to talk him into some form of alliance, should he survive his wounds. If he _wasn't_, then Madara taking him with her would keep the wounded man out of their hands, which might also end up working in her favor.

It was for that reason that Madara decided to scoop him up and hold him against her chest almost as she would have a child, mostly to prevent her movements from jostling his wounds too badly.

Ignoring the warm blood and grime soaking into her shirt sleeves, the Uchiha Matriarch pumped as much chakra into her body as it could handle and set off for her clans home at nearly record breaking speed, missing the group of Senju sent to investigate by a wide window as a result.

It was this decision, to spare a life to spite her enemies, that would forever change the course of the Shinobi world as they knew it, though she would never know it.


	2. (Un)Familiar Faces

**Devil's Advocate**

**Chapter 2, (Un)Familiar Faces**

_I do not own a thing pertaining to the Naruto franchise._

**[DA]**

A week.

Madara's unknown _guest_ had been unconscious for an entire week.

Smuggling him into the compound without alerting any of her clansmen had been relatively easy, as she navigated the darkness and used her familiar chakra signal to announce her arrival before they would bother investigating.

Being the leader of the Uchiha had the benefit of affording her a bit more leniency in the rules than the rest, considering she was the ultimate enforcer of said rules at the end of the day. By her will they would serve, as she had her father when he was Clan Head before her.

Madara wasted no time in undressing him to get a better look at his injuries before proceeding to clean his wounds, body and hair from the dried muck, rubble and blood. She was surprised by the rate at which he had healed in the few miles distance between the Uchiha compound and the crater she found him in, the difference in the mangled and fried mess the stump where his right arm used to be noticeable to even the naked eye.

His heart beat had grown faintly in strength as well, proving his will to live far too strong to be snuffed even by the grievous injuries he bore.

It was one of the most fascinating experiences of Madara's life, both as a person and as a Shinobi.

One did not simply survive catastrophic damage and then try to limp away without enormous will power and strength of body, let alone heal at a rate that would have taken her weeks in the span of some twenty minutes.

His chakra, oh. It was something else.

She could compare it to Hashirama's, but it wouldn't do her enigmatic guest justice in the least. Madara was never one to like colorful displays, finding them pointless as beauty did not equate to survival for the strong.

At its very base form his chakra was a deep, oceanic blue, vast in both size, strength and density. After just a day of rest, he had more chakra concentrated in his body than what she considered previously possible, and from the rate at which it continued to grow it was likely only a quarter of his reserves at best.

From the depths of oceanic blue came shades of green, orange, yellow and red, all in varying sizes and working in different capacities, from what she could decipher with the Sharingan. As she cleaned his wounds and doused them with alcohol concentrates to burn away the impurities, reddish orange chakra with hints of blue sprung forth within his damaged network and began to heal everything it touched with precision she had never seen.

His right arm, or what was left of it, had healed over completely within two hours of her cleaning the wound of loose debris. Such a thing shouldn't have been possible and should someone had told her a story of such happenings in passing, she would have scoffed and dismissed them as hearsay.

Madara could safely say her understanding of chakra had grown under the close scrutiny of his body as it healed, showing her new ways to mold her own life force and chakra in ways that vitalized her like no cup of tea could, like an unconscious medical tutor.

His face and body had begun to heal as soon as it became obvious that his life was no longer in danger, though Madara had a good idea what he would look like before it had begun to do so.

She was far from disappointed. His cheeks showed signs of little fat, hinting that he might be nearing the age of maturity, though she had only guesses to work on. Beneath the swelling, blood and grime coating his features, the wounded blond was a sight to behold. His whiskers were less like tattoos and more like birthmarks from what she could tell, as there was not a single drip of ink on his body save for a strangely complicated seal upon his stomach that she couldn't make heads or tails of, and the palm of his left hand.

Both his stomach and left hand held concentrations of chakra that far surpassed her understanding of sealing, and both seemed to be symbiotic with his own chakra. It was, dare she say it, revolutionary in the way that his body contained so many nuances and quirks.

Her own chakra held but three different distinguishable traits, relating to her natural chakra alignments and bloodline. His... was beyond her.

An entire week beneath the gaze of her Mangekyou had been enlightening, and an entire week beneath her tender caress as she cleaned his body and visually dissected it had emboldened her.

His presence alone was enough for her to go out of her way to keep him comfortable while he healed, acting as a natural stress reliever in a way. She had posed questions to him, even in unconsciousness, as if he would hear her and understand. His silence was telling, but sometimes she could swear his chakra would respond in a way that unconsciousness could not produce.

It would flare up as she cleaned him, only to settle after a few minutes of a soft, wet rag being the only thing she pressed against his body. Madara would take her time with the process, first cleaning him with water before applying oils specific to her clan to help facilitate his healing and chakra regeneration, even if it appeared wholly unneeded.

It was when she cleaned him that she spoke, mostly. At first she would pose her questions, watching his chakra carefully as she did so, trying to glean what she assumed were unconscious responses to external stimuli. Then, she would speak of her day and all that it entailed. She didn't reveal anything too vital to the inner goings of her clan, merely her gripes with rebellious children and adult-children who refused to fall in line and later the elders of the clan who had thrived beneath her father.

Many saw her unfit to lead, most due to her gender and some due to her latest leniency in not breaking the peace between the Senju and Uchiha before their rivals could do the same.

Such proposals had been shot down every time they arose, which had become almost daily as of late. Madara did not wish to be the one to break the so-called truce for the time being, instead using it to her advantage to not only better arm her clansmen, but to have them better prepared for the inevitable struggle to come.

If that conflict happened the following day or a year from then, Madara would be damn sure they were ready.

It was the seventh day after the unknown blonds rescue did she feel a spike in his chakra that denoted his consciousness once more springing to life, causing her to cease her complaints as she stood and put a few feet of distance between the two in case things turned hostile.

She knew she was taking a gamble, aiding an unknown and obviously powerful shinobi in his recovery within her own home, but something about his chakra and its calm but powerful presence spoke of his nature before his words and actions could.

Ocean blue eyes sprung open and his once immobile body began to lean forward, the blanket of woven wool covering his body falling away to his lap as he did so.

It didn't take long for his gaze to find Madara's, and she almost took another step back in shock at what she saw stirring beneath the surface.

**[DA]**

Naruto Uzumaki was hurt.

It wasn't quite a physical pain, as his and Kurama's chakra made short work of his injuries within hours of sustaining them, but emotional pain.

Deep emotional pain that threatened to spawn another incarnation of his inner darkness and disturb his inner peace. Despite his body falling unconscious, his mind did not quite fall into a comatose state and instead retreated inwards, to the domain created within his Seal to house the souls and chakra of the nine Biju.

There, he wept beneath the protective embrace of his now closest and only friend, if he could call the shade of his Biju partner a friend. Whatever Sasuke had done had left nothing but a ghost of his partner behind to reside within the seal, reliant on his own chakra to exist and eventually rekindle.

If not for the ability that mastery of Senjutsu had brought the two beings, they would have perished from the wounds that Sasuke left upon Naruto's body.

It was a long week for the two, to say the least. Naruto took his time to come to grips with his loss, understanding the technique used on him well enough to know his chances of finding his way back home were slim to none. Not only did he not have the Rinne-Sharingan, which was absolutely mandatory for the dimension hopping ability, but he had no idea on how he would even begin to pinpoint the exact dimension that was his.

He and Kurama had talked long and hard on the subject after the first day of his consciousness retreating from his physical body to reside within the seal on his stomach.

The only thing the two could know for certain was that whatever dimension he found himself in had trees, rocks, dirt and breathable air. If this dimension had trees, it likely had water as well, so the odds of Naruto's survival were higher than they could have been should Sasuke have sent them to one of the many more volatile dimensions they knew existed.

That was all they had to go on from the outside world, at least until the second day of their recovery. The only thing they could be for certain of from the outside world until Naruto returned to consciousness was that someone had cleaned his wounds, but he was still in danger due to the state of his body.

By the second day, whomever was treating him had begun to dress his wounds and apply some form of oil that helped the two draw in ambient Senjutsu chakra at a slightly heightened pace. It was a boon that they were not expecting, but one they capitalized on none the less.

Despite the blonds despondence, he had settled into a meditative trance to help Kurama gather chakra in an effort to speed up his recovery. While Naruto had no idea on how to actively use his chakra to heal, Kurama had a good clue due to both of their chakra's having a natural healing nature.

Due to the help of their enigmatic helper, the two were able to gather up enough chakra from the surrounding area to refill nearly a quarter of Naruto's reserves while the rest went to helping Kurama.

They couldn't take too much, however, as it would send his physical body into its enhanced state and would probably raise questions neither felt like explaining to their benefactor, at least until they could be sure they were trust worthy.

The presence of their benefactor was both a boon and a cause for concern. They had indeed facilitated their recovery and kept them from being wounded further by the chakra sources they could faintly feel around them, like a distant ringing that they couldn't pinpoint. Their presence, however, confirmed not only the existence of a chakra wielding species existing in a world that had natural occurring processes necessary for life to exist.

They both knew what the existence of foreign chakra meant.

Shinobi. Namely, they found themselves in a world where Hagoromo had split the chakra of his mother and dispersed it into the natural population of humans. This, too, meant that they were in a dimension where Kaguya was likely to have existed as well, if the dimensions were similar to one another with only minor variables different.

The chances of that, however, were so slim that the two had chosen that to be their least likely explination. Then again, they wouldn't and couldn't know until they woke up.

That was until around the fourth day. By then, the two had gathered enough of the ambient chakra existing in nature to facilitate around four tails worth of chakra for the Biju, which was far more than either could have ever hoped to recover without whatever oils were being applied to their body. Whomever was helping the two did not seem to be aware of the tremendous growth, however, as it was all done hidden behind a seal that not many could see and even fewer could comprehend, should they be in a dimension where Fuinjutsu was never discovered.

While this could be the case, neither Naruto nor Kurama banked on it.

It was only on the fourth day of their recovery, however, that their benefactor had begun to speak. Naruto was hardly connected to his body enough at the moment to completely understand the garbled whispers that echoed within the antechamber of the seal-space, but Kurama was.

Kurama had long learned to decipher the world around him in the presence of seals far stronger than the one currently holding him within Naruto's body.

The once whispers had grown in strength over the days, as did the cause for concern within the two.

Their benefactor asked a lot of questions, and a lot of them couldn't be answered without compromising who they were before they knew it was safe. Most of them lingered on what Naruto was capable of, probing questions that had no real weight behind them as the one questioning them was well aware there would be no response to them.

They were obviously female, whomever they were, as Kurama had been able to tell by the tone of voice. That was all they had to go on besides that their benefactor may as well be a captor, and that her efforts were both benign and dangerous at the same time.

"**You know, you can wake up any time you want." **Kurama noted almost boredly, his still growing body laid down with his forelegs crossed beneath his chin.

"We both know that's not a good idea right now." Naruto was subdued when he spoke, not displaying his usual zeal or exuberance since his defeat at the hands of his spiritual brother, "We have no idea where we're at and you said the person taking care of me is strong, right?"

"**There is no doubt about that. Whoever they are... they are familiar. I know that chakra from somewhere, but I can't really put a face to it."** Kurama admitted with a snort, concern obvious in his voice despite his efforts to cover it with sarcasm, **"They could be a survivor from the war, though... I want to say that our captor is an Uchiha. Their chakra certainly feels like an Uchiha's would."**

That knowledge, too, was a large cause for concern between them.

Naruto was hardly eager to go throwing himself at a powerful Uchiha until he was better healed. With a missing arm and his chakra reserves still below half, not to mention a weakened Kurama, Naruto was far from his peak during the war.

The only consolation to their current weakness, in Naruto's eyes, was the presence of the Yang Seal given to him by Hagoromo, the mirror of the Yin Seal that Sasuke bore.

The seal went more than skin deep, and his missing right arm was hardly going to stop him from being able to use the abilities that came along with it.

"I can only use Sage Mode for a few minutes at best with the shape I'm in right now." Naruto admitted after a few moments, trying his best to understand and measure the amount of chakra currently present within his body, finding it far more difficult to do than when he was conscious. "That'd be enough to get away, but I'd be running off fumes after that."

"**It's still too risky. If I'm guessing right, it will be another month before we are both back to full strength, and even then..."**Kurama glanced at the right arm currently present on Naruto's body, knowing that his representation within the seal was not congruent with his actual body, **"You'd have to fight them off left handed and without a good few of your jutsu."**

This was Naruto's most pressing concern, one he felt would impact him for the rest of his life.

There was nothing Kurama could really do to grow back an arm, something the blond had accepted without too much fuss as there was no point in fussing. Crying and screaming and moping would hardly get him his arm back.

His resident Biju had recommended just using chakra manipulation to constantly create an arm out of either his own or Kurama's chakra, something that Naruto felt a good idea and perhaps his only real option until he could figure out if a prosthetic would even be possible. Considering that his skill with shaping chakra was one of the highest in existence, thanks to experience and the presence of the Yang seal, this would be a non-issue for him in most cases.

He couldn't really use a chakra construct to do his handseals, however, so he would still be limited in his techniques until he could practice his one handed seals. This meant that Rasengan and its many variants were all he had to rely on outside of Kage Bunshin and perhaps Kawarimi if he had enough time to concentrate.

"What are the chances of whoever that is helping me trying to kill me?" Naruto questioned after a few more moments of silence, considering his options as carefully as he could, "Where do we even go? There is no Konoha here, at least I don't think there will be."

It still hurt to think about his situation, so he tried to keep it in the back of his mind as best he could during his recovery. It didn't bode well for his mental state that he was actively recognizing and admitting his chances of going home to see his many friends and comrades at arms were basically non-existent.

Sasuke didn't screw up his Jutsu, and with the Rinne-Sharingan and the many abilities it came with, copying Kaguya's technique perfectly was hardly out of his skill range.

"**I don't know, brat." **Kurama eventually admitted, his voice falling from a room shaking tone to one barely capable of causing a pebble to bounce. **"I'm... we'll come up with something, just focus on resting up while we can."**

The blond hadn't needed to be told twice, falling into a trance like sleep as he focused his attention on gathering and filtering the Senjutsu present in the world around them through the seal upon his stomach.

It was only after seven days of resting and allowing himself to be cared for did the two deem Naruto's body fit enough to support himself in a fight, should violence become an option.

The plan was simple, if identifying their captor and escaping captivity could be considered simple. If whomever they were indeed turned out to be an Uchiha, that meant that the blond shinobi and his Biju partner were most likely in for a fight.

Kurama had long since admitted to hating the Sharingan for its ability to mentally enslave him, and that fear was passed down to Naruto as a result.

If their captor could somehow enslave Kurama through the seal, both of them would be in for a world of trouble.

"**You ready, brat?"** Kurama questioned as he watched Naruto mentally prepare himself for waking up for the first time since losing his arm, **"You look nervous."**

"Well, yeah..." Naruto admitted after a few seconds of consideration, knowing that it was pointless to lie about his feelings to the ultimate emotional sensor, "I really don't want to get in another fight right after waking up, ya know?"

Kurama scoffed but nodded in agreement none the less. **"You and me both, brat. I think we've fought enough to last a few decades after the last month we've had."**

The Biju had settled his humanoid shape into the lotus position, both hands near where his navel would be as he continued to gather ambient Senjutsu, **"Just say the word and I'll get Sage Mode ready."**

"Thanks Kurama... well, wish me luck."

With that said, Naruto's mental representation began to fade from the seal, a visual process only symbolic in nature.

"**Be careful, Naruto."**

Kurama couldn't help but worry for his host and himself. The questions his captive asked... the Biju shivered at the ideas said questions formed, and instead posed his own questions on why such a thing would be asked in the first place.

It wasn't just Naruto's life he was worried about, but his chastity as well.

**[DA]**

Madara felt her heart flutter in her chest as ebony eyes met ocean blue.

Her guest looked far more alert than a man sleeping for seven days had any right to be, his body only sluggishly following behind the obvious order to assume a defensive position, if raising his knees slightly and squaring his jaw could be considered defensive.

Fear, anger, confusion and dare she say recognition were present there for her to see, though the final one was only faint if she could guess his expression.

"Ah, you're finally awake. I'm glad." Madara eventually broke the silence between the two, placing a hand on her hip and cocking it slightly and a position that would allow her to lash out with a devastating snap kick, despite looking casual in nature. "I was worried you were going to keel over on me before I could even get your name."

"Uh..." Naruto blinked twice at the tone the very-obviously Uchiha took with him, taking note of her appearance as he tore his eyes away from theirs to give their body a brief once over.

Long, black hair that was styled in an obviously familiar way covered her right eye, leaving only the left to peak through wild locks of ebony. Her face was thin but molded into a beautiful shape with what appeared to be skin made of porcelain. Her eyes were full of fire, passionate to say the very least, and the blond knew that something dangerous lurked beneath the surface.

Loose black robes covered a slender body, barely covering her bandage covered breasts to be considered decent. Long, creamy legs peaked from beneath the loose robe tied tightly around the waist, long enough to only cover what was necessary for decency and nothing more.

Naruto snapped his gaze back to her face in an effort to keep it from roving her body once more. He could feel a slight trickle of something on his upper lip, forcing him to realize his nose must have been running.

He wouldn't say it aloud, but whoever he was looking at was one of the most beautiful women Naruto had ever seen. Something about her slender body, wild hair and equally as threatening gaze stirred something within him, only faintly being recognized. It was only after another moments of study of her face did he slowly start to put pieces together within his head that didn't quite make any sense.

The hair, the heavy bags beneath their eyes, their confident stance...

The woman in front of Naruto reminded him of Madara Uchiha from appearance down to the attitude, the cocky smirk that most Uchiha were likely born with present on her, dare he say it, beautiful face.

He couldn't help but stutter that very name in confusion, as he couldn't be sure until he confirmed his suspicion.

"Are... are you... Madara?" Naruto had a hard time forming his words, one part due to disuse of his vocal chords for a week and another due to his shock.

When the female before him nodded her head in a silent 'yes', Naruto glanced down at his blanket covered waist, scrunched his brows together in confusion and then back up at her face.

'Is... is this what Jiraiya-Sensei called a hate boner?'


	3. (Un)Familiar Belief

**Devil's Advocate**

**Chapter 3, (Un)Familiar Belief**

_I do not own a thing pertaining to the Naruto franchise._

_**For those complaining about his arm, just chill. I've got my reasons.**_

**[DA]**

Madara couldn't help the smirk that came to her face upon seeing the trail of blood leak from her guests nose. It wasn't quite the reaction she was expecting, but it was certainly one that was promising.

She could clearly see the anger in his eyes, as well as vast depths of pain, but he obviously still held some form of spark within him as he rose his legs slightly to hide more rebellious body functions from her prying eyes. Madara decided not to comment and instead allowed the enigmatic man a few more moments of silence to gather himself after he got the answer he was looking for.

It was strange that her guest referred to her simply as 'Madara' and not 'Madara Uchiha, most feared shinobi in the Land of Fire'. It implied some form of familiarity, as he very obviously knew who she was. Another point to be made was the obvious lack of fear she felt from her guest.

He was not scared of her, seemingly at all as he pushed himself to a sitting position with his only remaining upper limb.

"You obviously know who I am, but I'm still curious as to whom I've been tending to the past week." Madara eventually spoke as it became clear that the blond wouldn't be the first to break the silence.

His brows furrowed further and his eyes lit up in confusion, as if he didn't understand how she didn't know his name, or perhaps he was questioning why she would have healed him instead of killing him in his wounded state.

"I... you seriously don't know who I am, do you." Her blond guest eventually spoke, a statement posed as a question. It was an odd way to respond to being asked for his identity for sure, and spoke to Madara of another fact.

He felt like she _should_ have known his name, which was yet another telling sign that she may have made an oversight by bringing him into her home.

"Obviously not. Enlighten me." Madara snarked in response, unable to keep the slight heat from her tone as her stance shifted slightly to a more aggressive one.

Once more, her guest had to suppress a trickle of blood attempting to escape his nose, shifting just as she had before attempting to rise from his seated position. He seemed to change his mind with a mild noise of discomfort when he became aware of his lack of clothing.

"What the hell?! Why am I naked?!" The blond yelped in embarrassment as he quickly grabbed the blanket that threatened to spill away and reveal his naked form to the world, causing Madara to roll her eyes and relax slightly at the sight of his childish behavior.

A hardened killer hardly cared about his decency, and considering his only hand was currently occupied with keeping his blanket held up around his waist, she doubted he was going to outright attack her.

"You were dying and covered in blood when I found you, couldn't really clean your wounds if you kept your clothes on now could I?" Madara quirked her left brow at his line of questioning, as if trying to wrap her mind around the naivety of his actions.

Snapping his mouth shut at once, her guest seemed to accept her answer and relaxed slightly under her gaze, but not enough to show comfort in his presence. Something about his posture kept her on edge, just waiting for the moment he proved to be a threat.

"I'm going to ask one more time, who are you?" The ebony haired matriarch questioned, "I hope I didn't just waste a week of my life caring for an enemy."

The look of confusion did not fall from the blonds face, becoming even more pronounced as it shifted towards incredulity.

"What the hell..." The blond murmured to himself while shifting uncomfortably beneath her gaze, his eyes looking almost anywhere but in her direction, "I'm Naruto Uzumaki, it's... er, _nice_ to meet you?"

"You're an Uzumaki?" Madara questioned hotly while shifting into a combat position at once, either of her legs spreading a bit wider to compensate her lowered center of gravity, "You certainly don't look like one!"

"Hey, whoa, what's wrong with being an Uzumaki, huh? You don't see me trying to fight you 'cuz you're an Uchiha!" The blond tried to take a step back and motioned as if to raise his hands to show he meant no harm, clearly forgetting about the blanket at his waist covering his modesty, "I know I don't have my moms pretty hair, but that don't mean nothin'!"

Was... was he _pouting_?

Madara tilted her head slightly as she once more got an eye full, a slightly lewd smirk appearing on her face despite the situation. She pondered his words for a moment before nodding, as if agreeing with him.

"You subscribe to the Senju's line of thinking, then?" Madara questioned in a mocking tone, despite feeling a bit more at ease due to his defense of his clans name, "What, you think there can be peace between us after we've spent the last hundred years killing each other?"

It was a loaded question, one meant to ascertain whether he was affiliated with the Senju or not. The chances of a rouge Uzumaki wandering around in the Land of Fire were pretty low. From what she knew, the Uzumaki were loving towards their own and pretty well off in their own little paradise island they selfishly guarded with their lives.

Why would an Uzumaki not want to be with other Uzumaki? He obviously knew what he was, and he seemed almost as childish and soft as the other Uzumaki she had heard of in the past, if his naive modesty was to be believed.

Naruto, as he revealed his name to be, seemed to consider her words before shrugging and then nodding, his one hand still raised in a disarming fashion while his stump of a limb mimicked the same position. "Well duh, peace is way better than fighting. Who wants to make enemies when you can make friends instead?"

Once more, his answer all but confirmed her suspicions.

An Uzumaki aligned with the Senju, with absolutely monstrous chakra reserves, enhanced healing and a pacifistic nature like she came to expect from Hashirama himself. This did not bode well for her, but at the same time, gave that tiny spark of hope within her, ignited by Hashirama, another boost in strength.

"That... that... is exactly what I'd expect Hashirama to say." Madara sighed heavily before shrugging her shoulders, "So what happened to you? Looks like you got chewed up and spit out by one of the Biju, did the Senju not have your back?"

Every question she posed was loaded to hell and back. It was almost as if Naruto had no idea just what kind of information he was giving up when he spoke, or perhaps he just didn't care. Considering his reserves and the scars upon his body, namely the one over his _heart_, Madara could tell he was no stranger with near death experiences and conflict.

He was so confident in his abilities that he didn't bother with concealing his words or intentions, much like Hashirama. The white haired asshole Tobirama, on the other hand, would have dissected her questions and twisted them until he could answer in a way that left no room for the truth.

"I...," Naruto paused his answer and Madara could easily see the grimace of his face as he recalled what put him in such a wounded state, "I don't really want to talk about that..."

It was obviously something incredibly personal, as he seemed to withdraw into himself upon thinking about whatever wounded him so. It most likely wasn't a failed mission, as shinobi hardly took such a thing so personally as to withdraw into themselves at the thought of it, unless it was absolutely vital. What kind of mission could he have undertaken that left him flying far and high enough to create a crater that size in the Land of Fire, though?

There were no civilian towns unaligned with a shinobi clan within the next fifty miles outside of the Senju, and there were no reports of an Uchiha outside of herself or her sister Izumi who could have caused such an obviously powerful shinobi to become as wounded as he was. That left very little possible shinobi who could have been potential hostiles in the immediate area.

The only thing that could have possibly upset such a lively person, if his personality was truly so bubbly in nature, would be the loss of a loved one or... perhaps a betrayal.

Her eyes narrowed slightly.

_Betrayal._

Perhaps it was a bad habit to instantly reach the worst conclusion, but Madara quickly assumed the worst. If he had been betrayed and he was an _Uzumaki_, then perhaps it was a very good thing she kept him out of the hands of the Senju.

Why would the Uzumaki betray one of their own, though? Or was it the Senju themselves who betrayed him?

A cold feeling bloomed in her stomach while a burning sensation stung her heart, causing Madara to murmur to herself after reaching her conclusion.

"I see... to think they would turn on one of their own..."

Her guest obviously heard her and outright flinched under her gaze when she snapped her ebony eyes upwards to meet his ocean blues.

"You are safe here, in this room. There are seals on the walls that have hid your presence well for the last week." Madara seemed to misread his admissions and drew conclusions on her own, leaving him no room for argument as she pointed towards the far right of the room, "There are robes there that should fit you if you would like to dress yourself. I will be back shortly with something for you to eat, please don't go anywhere."

"Wha- but- I-" The blond couldn't really form a sentence as he tried to understand the turn in their conversation, watching in befuddlement as Madara lowered her aggressive stance and adopted a tone he couldn't quite place.

The loud protests of his stomach interrupted any further protest from him after the mention of food caught up to him.

Just how long had it been since he had eaten?

She was gone before he could say another word, leaving him to stand in silence as he tried to wrap his mind around the entire conversation and meeting he just had.

**[DA]**

"**Damn, she's good..."** Kurama murmured through the link he and Naruto shared, digesting the conversation Naruto just had with a very obviously _female_ Madara Uchiha.

It had been a disaster from the start.

_'What the hell just happened?'_ Naruto questioned his partner as he continued to stare at the door Madara freaking Uchiha just walked out of, leaving him alone to his thoughts. _'Was that really Madara, or just a chick who looks and acts like him?'_

Kurama couldn't tell at first, but after a minute of study he had learned the disturbing truth.

"**That was really Madara, who... is now apparently a teenage female, her chakra was unmistakable. I think that little shit you called brother sent us into the past!"**

_'But is it our past, or a different past? 'Cuz the Madara I know was a freakin' dude!' _Naruto argued his point, once more feeling frustration welling up inside him as he slowly came to a realization. _'This isn't our past, and if Madara is still a teenager...'_

A small bout of silence fell between the two before Kurama broke it with a light growl.

"**Brat, listen to me, I think I have an idea."**

_'I'm listening.' _Naruto responded a moment later, his voice more despondent than before at the thought of no longer having a home to return to.

"**I know this goes against what I said earlier, but... I think sticking around Madara will be our best bet to stay safe, at least for now."**

_'What the hell makes you say that?! Do you NOT remember the ass kicking I had to endure at his, er... her hand?'_ The Jinchuuriki of Kurama was less than amused with the suggestion, attempting to cross his arms in protest only for a single arm to cross his chest, _'Not happening, Kurama!'_

"**Listen to me! We have no allies here, nowhere to run if things go south!" **Kurama was adamant in his suggestion, and the strong tone he took was enough to pause any further protest from his container, at least any with any real heart behind them. **"There is no Konoha! Think about it, if she hasn't killed you yet and she didn't kill you when you admitted you were an Uzumaki, what makes you think she'd go and get food for you unless there was something she wanted in return for helping you?"**

_'Who says she isn't going to just stab me in the back like Sas-' _Naruto couldn't even think his name, his throat threatening to close in on itself upon trying, _'Hmm... alright, Kurama, I'll play along, just... tell me what you think we need to do.'_

What else could he really do? If there was no Konoha, then that meant there was no Hokage to report to, so his loyalty was to himself and the Biju only by default.

The Biju...

"**Brat, don't even think about it. We haven't recovered enough yet." **Kurama grumbled within him, already knowing where his containers line of thinking would take him.

As much as Kurama would like to see his brothers and sisters again, his own position within this universe would raise far too many questions for him to answer just yet. Not to mention _this_ universes Kurama was just as likely to try to kill him than listen, convinced as he was that all humans were born imperfect and evil.

_'You.. yeah, you're right.'_ Naruto wanted to argue, but he knew in his gut that he was no where near ready for another cataclysmic battle should any of the nine Biju prove unwilling to cooperate. _'With how stiff I am right now, I'd only really be able to handle Shukaku, and that might be pushing it...'_

"**Just... play along with whatever it is she wants from us, for now. Don't let her know I exist, obviously, and get her to agree to not use the Sharingan on you, those are the only things I ask until we can figure out a better plan." **Kurama eventually fell silent, his part having been said.

Neither thought it was an ideal situation to be in, but they would try to make the best of it while they were under the so called hospitality of Madara Uchiha, or rather... his female counterpart, Madara Uchiha.

Naruto felt an intense headache coming along as he continued to try and wrap his mind around the strange dimension Sasuke had sent him to.

_'Sore loser couldn't accept defeat and cheated me out of my win!'_

Kurama silently agreed with his host, feeling no need to comment on the obvious. His host had, indeed, been cheated out of his victory, and the two were now paying the price for it.

The tailed beast couldn't help the vicious grin that crossed his face at an illicit thought he kept to himself, not wanting Naruto to catch on to his nefarious scheme in the least. His host had an odd habit of making friends out of former enemies, so why not use the obvious opportunity to convert Madara while they still could?

Sasuke felt like he was going to screw Naruto out of his chances at being Hokage? Well, Kurama was going to screw Sasuke out of his chance at _existing._ Hopefully, literally.

"**Get dressed, will ya? Unless you happen to _like_ flashing that prick Madara."**

Kurama chuckled at the incoherent sputtering and the quick actions of the young shinobi afterward.

**[DA]**

Izumi Uchiha couldn't help but watch her elder sister with narrowed eyes.

For an entire week now she had been acting suspicious, spending more and more time secluded in a room she had sealed off to only allow herself entrance. That, in and of itself, wasn't entirely suspicious as Madara had become more and more frustrated with her clans progress as her time as Clan Head continued.

It was the items she had retrieved and later brought to the room that was suspicious.

Around three days prior, Madara had gone riffling through her deceased fathers belongings, namely his clothing, only to come back with a few sets of robes that she had eyeballed for quite a few minutes before deciding upon.

What could Madara possibly need male clothing for?

Izumi certainly hoped her elder sister wasn't attempting to pose as a male, even in the comfort of her own home. It did not bode well for her femininity nor her mental fortitude. While she knew that Madara was hardly the most... endowed of women, that didn't mean she should cast aside that which identified her as a female under the pretense of strength.

After another day or so, Izumi had become confident that her elder sister had not started to pretend she was male, as she had started taking up prettying herself, dare she say it. It wasn't much, but the only remaining sibling of Madara could actually see the light shade of charcoal she had used as eye liner.

It was also around the same time that the elder Uchiha had taken to wearing _robes_ around the house instead of her usual combo of black pants and a turtle neck mid-sleeve shirt.

Since when did Madara freaking Uchiha wear _robes_ that stopped mid thigh?!

So the younger Uchiha sibling continued to watch Madara's actions for days afterwards, her actions remaining just as enigmatic. It was for that very reason that she found herself standing outside of the small kitchen the two were afforded as the top ranking members of their clan, both having moved from the home that once belonged to their now deceased father.

Nothing was strange about Madara preparing food for herself, as it _was_ around dinner time, but each of the sisters usually made their own meals and here she was, preparing _two._

Did... Madara have a guest, then?

It would certainly make sense, considering the two meals, and it further explained why she would have a need for male robes denoting status within the clan, but that also begged the question of just whom that guest could have been.

Who was important enough to warrant a set of robes announcing affiliation to the Uchiha, who didn't already own their own? If Madara had need of clothing for a clansmen, she would have approached a tailor and have had them delivered, yet she did nothing of the sort.

Instead, she had gathered the robes Tajima Uchiha had worn when engaged to their mother, Makoto Uchiha.

Engagement wear was usually worn for a few months by either the Clan Head or their chosen partner should the leader of the Uchiha prove to be female at the time, a small bit of tradition that their family had followed for generations.

It was this tidbit of information, tied in with Madara making a meal for two that led Izumi to come to a startling but not unwelcome conclusion.

Did Madara finally find someone she wanted to settle down with? Even after having sworn off romance some years prior?

Izumi was pleased with her line of thinking, but at the same time suspicious.

It was for that reason that she watched her sister with a critical eye once more enter the sealed off room, seemingly unaware that she was being watched so closely, or perhaps uncaring entirely. It wasn't exactly uncommon for Izumi to watch her elder sister like a hawk, who else was going to keep her in check?

Perhaps she had slackened too far in her duties of doing so, as Madara seemed to have decided playing house in secret was a good way to conduct herself.

**[DA]**

Madara was still having a hard time wrapping her mind around what she had learned from her guest, Naruto Uzumaki if he were to be believed.

Not only did the Senju have Uzumaki amongst them, but they were willing to _betray_ _their own_. If they were willing to do what they did to Naruto, then what would stop them from doing the same to the Uchiha?

Was Hashirama aware of just what his clan had done? Was it the bastard little brother, Tobirama, who had wounded and betrayed Naruto? Were there even more Uzumaki in the Land of Fire that she didn't know about?

She wasn't expecting the Senju to reach out to their cousin clan for assistance, especially considering how lax the alliance between the two clans had become over the last decade. Trade between the two had almost slowed to a crawl and there was little reason for the elusive clan of redheads to bother with the clans of the Land of Fire, especially considering their proximity to the lands of Earth, Water and Lightning.

She was too distracted with her thoughts to notice the heavy gaze of Izumi peaking through the doorway, the crawling feeling overtaking her spine concealing the usual nagging feeling she would get while being watched. Madara prepared her and Naruto's meal in silence, steaming a bit of rice while preparing a simple sauce to go with it.

Despite all of her skill in combat, Madara hardly considered herself a cook and stuck with the bare basics to survive, usually relying on meals from a vending stall within the compound on nights she didn't feel like cooking.

The ability to burn water was rare, but Madara possessed it none the less.

Preparing two dishes with the rice and sauce and grabbing up two pairs of chopsticks in a hurry, Madara quickly passed her little sister Izumi in the hall with nary a word before returning to the room in which her cute little guest had been kept.

She wasn't expecting to see Naruto struggling to close the robe in the proper fashion while being able to tie the belt provided, but she had hardly taken his missing limb into consideration while going through her fathers clothes.

Madara couldn't help the small snort of amusement that escaped her before she set the two dishes of rice and sauce to the side before sliding the door shut behind her with her right foot, unaware of the peeping gaze that she had just cut off from view.

"Here, let me help before you give up and tear those robes to shreds." Madara called out, causing her guest to look up with an almost feral look in his eyes before attempting to cover himself properly.

Striding across the room in three quick steps, the long haired woman allowed her left hand to lightly trace along his shoulder and the back of his neck as she stepped behind him. She could feel Naruto stiffen under her touch, most likely in preperation for an attack but also just as likely a primal reaction.

Wrapping both arms around him from behind, Madara grabbed the folds of her fathers old engagement robes and pulled them closed around his naked body, his muscles flexed taut beneath her lingering touch.

She couldn't help the savage grin that appeared on her face as she noticed yet another part of his body stiffen further as she leaned forward just enough for her short stature to allow her head to rest near the crook of his neck, just near his left ear.

Grabbing the ends of the belt of the robes in one hand before passing one end to the hand currently holding his robes closed, Madara silently relished the feel of his body reacting as it did now that he was conscious. Another moment passed and the robes had been tied closed, allowing her guest to relax slightly at his decency having been slightly restored.

Madara allowed her hands to linger a bit longer, her breath still tracing the crook of his neck and his ear as a result. "You can relax you know, I don't bite... much."

The fountain of crimson that colored his cheeks and neck were just too perfect, her teasing once more proving successful as any composure the blond had gathered melted away as he started stammering a response.

She had a feeling she was going to enjoy getting Naruto to accept his new position in life, as she had decided then and there one thing for certain.

Madara was going to keep him.


	4. Chapter 4

**Devil's Advocate**

**Chapter 4,**

_I do not own anything pertaining to the Naruto franchise._

**[DA]**

The silence between the two was not comfortable to say the least, at least not for the blond Jinchuuriki. His host seemed perfectly content with sitting lazily across from him as she nibbled on her rice, her eyes almost never leaving him for longer than a second as she did so. He had yet to touch his food, instead staring down at it in slight frustration before deciding he wouldn't sully his already broken pride by asking for help eating, which is exactly what his host seemed to have wanted. While he was mostly ambidextrous, he had never quite mastered the art of eating with chopsticks using his left hand.

Using quite a bit of his still taxed chakra reserves, the blond would-be-savior formed an arm of pure chakra where his right arm used to be. It was a rough design and didn't perfectly match the size and shape he was going for at first, but soon he made the oversized limb shrink down to more or less match his left arms length and proportions.

He didn't see Madara pause her idle grazing to stare at him almost slack-jawed, her expression going from one of amusement to wonder in seconds. Instead, he grabbed up the chopsticks with his false hand gingerly, using all of the same carefulness he did when handling his comrades with Kurama's chakra. The task of creating and controlling the limb was far, far too easy for Naruto, however, and caused him to pause to glance at the limb idly.

"**It's probably thanks to Father's Yang Seal, you imbecile. Did you already forget?" **Kurama snorted in amazement at how quickly his host seemed to forget the generous gift bestowed upon him by the Sage of Six Paths, "**His Seals are more than flesh deep, remember that."**

"How are you doing that?"

Any retort he could have made towards Kurama was cut off when Madara spoke up across from him, causing him to snap his gaze up from his food perhaps a bit too quickly, the room spinning slightly as he did so.

"It's... hard to explain without a bit of intimate knowledge of Yang chakra." Naruto eventually hedged out while refusing to make direct eye contact, instead keeping his gaze somewhere between her eyes and ears at all points, "You aren't going to just use your Sharingan to figure it out?"

"Is that permission to observe you, then?" Madara was quick to read between the lines, though she did feel the need to defend herself from the hidden accusation, "I don't use my Sharingan on my guests without permission, of course. That would be rude."

Naruto only looked confused by this admission, but shrugged his shoulders none the less after a few more moments of silence. "As long as you swear to not use your Mangekyou on me at any point in the future, go for it."

Madara stiffened slightly at the casual mention of the supposedly secret second stage of the Sharingan, having been unaware that others outside of her clan even knew the name, let alone the implications of such things. "How do you know of the Mangekyou, exactly?"

"Er, you aren't the first Uchiha I've met, ya know." Naruto furrowed his brow slightly at the question, "He... well, the other one that I knew, he was skilled with his eyes, awfully proud of 'em."

"As he should be, if he had awakened the Mangekyou. What is his name?" Madara seemed far too eager to know his name, actually leaning forward slightly upon hearing Naruto's admission, "Perhaps I'm familiar with him, being Clan Head and all."

"I... doubt it. His name was Sasuke." Naruto looked far more uncomfortable than before, looking down at his food with an almost haunted expression on his face before snapping out of it just as quickly. "He's gone now."

**'Thank the Sage for small miracles.'** Kurama snorted in a way that was both disgusted and amused at once, a sort of in between that Kurama usually toed in regards to his emotional state.

The certainty in which he spoke made Madara hesitate on questioning him on the subject further. It was obviously one very personal to him, and he _was_ correct when she found herself unfamiliar with the name. His reaction was genuine and she could almost taste his sadness in the air, so she decided to change the subject to one a bit more pleasant instead of pushing him for information on a dead man sharing her last name.

Particularly, the subject of his chakra arm, one that interested her greatly.

"So as long as I promise not to try and use my Mangekyou, you won't mind if I observe you with my base Sharingan?" Madara felt the need to confirm his agreement one more time before she took any action, especially when provided the chance to study something as complex as pure Yang Chakra manipulation.

That was an art almost exclusive to the Uzumaki, as the only two Senju in recent generations to have any meaningful amount of skill in the illusive arts were Hashirama and Tobirama respectively. As a result of the reclusive nature of the Uzumaki, it had been some few years since an Uchiha last came into contact with someone who had actual experience in Yang Chakra manipulation, Madara most likely being the first. There was little doubt in her mind that the arm Naruto was displaying was far and above the average expectancy of someone around their age, thus making the opportunity that much more compelling.

Madara pushed more chakra into her eyes than the first stage of the Sharingan called for, yet not enough to push them into their second stages quite yet. She almost regretted it as soon as her coal colored eyes bled red, as the blond figure before her, already shrouded in Chakra visible to the naked eye, became so bright that she was almost convinced he'd spontaneously combusted and become a second sun.

There were not enough words within the language of the Elemental Nations to properly describe what she was seeing. The Yang Chakra present within her guests body was twisting, turning and writhing in a way that was basically forming musculature and bone made of condensed Chakra so thick she doubted she could cut it with a kunai. The shades of green, orange, blue, red and yellow that made up each individual fibre of Chakra-made musculature seemed to mimic the Chakra Network that was present within every human being, as well as the capillaries and vessels meant for the delivery of blood.

These threads of Chakra connected to the Chakra pathways within the stump of his right arm perfectly, blending together so well that under the preview of her Sharingan, Madara could not tell where his natural arm ended and the Chakra construct began.

It was both humbling and enlightening at once, as Madara could tell without a doubt that if she were to emulate the blond before her by enhancing her own musculature in such a way, she could increase her physical strength and endurance by orders of magnitude.

"How did you go about learning such abilities, if you do not mind my asking?" Madara eventually questions idly, her eyes still drinking in the sights of her guest manipulating his Chakra in ways she had never thought possible, "Is this some sort of Uzumaki technique like the fabled Chakra Chains?"

Naruto shook his head in the negative almost immediately before answering her question to the best of his ability. "Nope, this is all me. Well, mostly. I'm a Sage, so this sort of stuff just comes with the territory. I didn't even know about the Chakra Chains until like, a month ago maybe?"

"A… Sage? Truly?" Madara leaned forward almost excitedly upon hearing such an admittance, "So you wield a Summoning Contract as well, then?"

There was a brief pause before the improved expression of her guest once more fell and became dejected.

"I… did, but I'm not sure if I can still successfully summon them anymore." Naruto eventually reasoned, his voice faltering slightly as he seemed to come to some sort of harrowing realization as he spoke, "I don't think they're going to answer my call if I try, and I don't think it'd be a good idea to risk pissing off the folks of Mount Myouboku."

"Mount Myouboku… you were a Toad Summoner?" Madara was fascinated to learn that the Toads had allowed such a thing, having learned from her own summons, the Crow Clan, that Mount Myouboku was a no-go unless you desired a swift and painful death. "I didn't know the Toads forged a Contract."

"Yeah, there's only been a few of us. They're super awesome, but being forced to eat bugs for a month… bleh!" The blond made a face and pretended to shiver before digging into his rice with gusto. "I'd take eating vegetables over bugs, and vegetables are gross!"

"... You must have hit your head a bit too hard last week. Vegetables are awesome." Madara droned in an amused tone before returning to the subject at hand quickly, "So if you are truly a Sage, then you must have a great grasp on the usage of Nature Chakra, yes?"

"I mean, yes? I'm not one to brag too much, but I doubt there's anyone else around here who can handle as much as I can at any one time outside of say, the Biju. Chakra Manipulation is sort of my thing, ya know?" Naruto reached up to scratch his chin with his left hand idly while playing with his chopsticks with his Chakra constructed hand, "I didn't start studying Fuinjutsu until two years ago, so I had to learn to rely on my raw Chakra reserves to get the job done until then."

"You know, that's pretty strange for an Uzumaki," Madara noted calmly, "were you raised beyond Uzushio?"

"Yep, born and raised here in the Land of Fire," Naruto admits smoothly and with very little hesitation, "I didn't meet another Uzumaki until my cousin Karin, who also wasn't much of an Uzumaki either now that I think about it."

Based on his accent, strange verbal tics and vernacular aside, the current head of the Uchiha clan was inclined to believe him.

Madara slowly nods in acceptance and finishes the last of her rice as she digests the information freely offered, the implication of said information troubling her slightly.

If her guest hadn't learned from the Uzumaki of Uzushio and had very little to do with his family, going by his admission, then how did he end up associated with the Senju?

_Was_ he even associated with the Senju?

With how easily he had answered the rest of her questions, Madara didn't see a reason not to go ahead and address the Biju in the room.

"Your whole life, huh? Were you raised by the Senju then, perhaps?" The Matriarch of the Uchiha questioned with a raised brow before taking a calm sip of tea, as if she hadn't just outright asked where his allegiances lay. "They are your cousin clan, after all."

"Nah, the only Senju I know is… well, she's gone too, now, I guess. Damn… damn." Naruto once more trails off, his cerulean colored eyes going a bit vacant as he stares somewhere over Madara's shoulder for a moment before his gaze sharpens once more, "I'm an orphan, so… yeah, I basically raised myself. What about you?"

"What about me?" Madara parrots, slightly confused by the rather simple question.

"Well, I mean, were you raised here in the Land of Fire?" Naruto questions unsurely, as if feeling dumb for even asking, "I mean, I don't really know too much about the Uchiha, so…"

Madara snorts slightly in disbelief, having never met a man as skilled as Naruto who yet seemed to be lacking slightly in the common sense department.

"Yes, Naruto, the Uchiha are native to the Land of Fire." Madara admits with a small laugh of amusement, her eyes crinkling slightly as she covers her mouth with a closed palm, "Have you been living under a rock, or do you just not pay attention to what goes on around you?"

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up." Naruto rolls his eyes in good nature, knowing in his gut that Madara wasn't trying to be malicious, "Anyway, thank you for helping me out instead of… well... it really means a lot to me. I would have been a goner if it wasn't for you. If there's anything I can do to pay you back, just let me know."

The sincerity of his words gives Madara pause. Not only did his expression and body language paint a vivid picture for her to decipher with her Sharingan, but so did the genuine emotion shining in his eyes and echoing in his words.

Madara couldn't recall the last time someone had been so… _real_ with her.

There were no lies to see through, no half truths or near falsities or double meanings.

Naruto obviously wasn't like the other Shinobi, didn't seem nearly as cold and twice removed from the world through a facade and a mask like even herself.

Someone so pure was not suited for the life of a hardened killer, not like her.

Obviously, it was now up to her to protect said innocence, especially considering all that had been said and what hadn't.

Just as she is about to respond, both she and her guest, based on the way he suddenly jerks upright with alertness, feel a monstrous Chakra signature suddenly appear somewhere in the periphery of their sensorial range. Madara instantly recognizes the signature, of course, but based on the troubled look that appears on his face, Naruto does not.

"I was wondering when that fool would finally show up." Madara sighs before standing from her seated position before stretching languidly, "Let me-"

And then Natuto was gone like the wind, the sealed doorway of the room leading further into the compound left open in his wake.

**[DA]**

Hashirama couldn't help but frown in confusion as he touched down outside of the crater that had been formed by some sort of impact somewhere near the boundaries between Uchiha and Senju territory.

The lingering Chakra suffused into the ground and air around the site was unlike anything he had ever felt before.

The sheer amount of Yang and Nature Chakra still lingering in the area was absolutely staggering, enough that he could almost _taste_ it. Forget going to the Summons Realm to practice his Senjutsu technique, this crater was about to become his newest favorite training spot.

Now, if only he could get Tobirama to quit acting so paranoid.

"Sorry, Tobi-chan, I just don't see it. There is no way the Uchiha are responsible for this unless Mada-chan has been holding back against me lately." Hashirama sighs as he crosses his arms and stares down at the massive crater in consternation, "This is the work of a Sage. You said that this impact site is already a week old?"

"A Sage? How would… ah, Nature Chakra, of course." Tobirama curses under his breath at himself for the possibility having never crossed his mind, "You really need to teach me that little trick you do, I'm supposed to be the better sensor. Yes, this happened a little over a week ago now."

"And have you finally beat me during our sparring? I think not!" Hashirama exclaims while pointing at his little brother dramatically, "You're already a damn cheater, what makes you think I'm willingly going to teach you my super secret technique?!"

"It's obviously not all that exclusive anymore if there's another Sage out there, let alone so close to our home." Tobirama says with a bit of heat coloring his tone, once more letting himself get worked up at the thought, "This is serious, Hashirama!"

"Reee-lax, Tobi-chan. Tell you what, I'll go over to Mada-chan's compound and annoy the guards until she inevitably tries to chase me away," Hashirama grins goofily at the thought of what he's going to do to the Uchiha compounds guards, "then I'll ask her if she knows anything while we 'dance'. Does that sound good?"

"You know what? You're going to do it anyway, so does my opinion really matter?" Tobirama questions almost childishly, his lips drawing up into a sneer while his sharp crimson eyes honed in on the chocolate brown of Hashirama's, "Just go, I'll keep watch until you get back from flirting with your secret lover."

"She's not my secret lover!" Hashirama shouts in annoyance at his hastily retreating brother's back, "I love Mito, dang it! Come back here so I can teach you the ways of friend-fu!"

When it became obvious that Tobirama wasn't going to come back and willingly let Hashirama beat some friendship into him with his fists, the eldest of the Senju brothers huffs indignantly before turning his attention towards the east, where he knew the Uchiha compound still remained despite Madara threatening to move her clan to the Land of Water if he didn't quit screwing with the guards.

With his latest plan on keeping Madara's guards on their toes firmly in mind, the brown haired Shinobi clad in crimson armor absorbs some of the ambient Nature Chakra lingering in the ground below his feet before taking off towards the Uchiha compound, a wide grin plastered on his face all the while.

That grin only grew more pronounced as he started picking up strong signals of the very same Chakra signature that was left in the crater that Hashirama was quick to claim as his own.

That grin threatened to split his face in two when he felt the warm Chakra signature suddenly spike with an absolutely monstrous amount of Nature Chakra before breaking away from beside Madara, whose Chakra signature was unmistakable to him after years of fighting with and against her.

Just as Hashirama touched down outside of the Uchiha compound, which caused the many guards present to groan in annoyance at the mere sight of him, so too did the source of the incredibly powerful Chakra.

Regarding the blond haired figure with strange whisker marks on his cheeks carefully, the eldest of the Senju brothers couldn't help but let out an impressed whistle.

"You are one weird looking Uchiha, my friend."

And then he was surrounded by a sea of blonds, each carrying a portion of the Nature Chakra that the first had been building up internally and each looking positively murderous.

**"Say that again and I'm going to break your stupid looking face! I'm an Uzumaki-ttebayo, and don't you forget it!"**

Hashirama begins to sweat a little at the amount of Chakra being casually thrown around by the blond, enough so that his hair was practically standing on end due to the sheer volume in the air now. If a fight were to break out now, he might just have to break out the big guns. Perhaps it was best to diffuse the situation before it becomes volatile. Yeah, that sounded like a good idea.

"Uh, my bad? Is this the wrong time to say I come in peace?" Hashirama holds both hands up to show he is disarmed, blinking owlishly all the while.

**"That's what I thought, you dumb looking asshole."** One of the clones murmured just loud enough for Hashirama to hear, still obviously displeased at being called a weird looking Uchiha.

Yeah, he definitely sounded like an Uzumaki alright. Most were fluently vulgar by nature, including his soon to be wife Mito.


End file.
